Portland woman with head wound was shot accidentally during scuffle, police say

SCARBOROUGH, Maine — A Portland woman found with a gunshot wound in her head Thursday night in Scarborough was the victim of an accidental shooting, police said Friday.

Carol Dorney, 47, was transported to Maine Medical Center after Scarborough police responded to a reported shooting at 38 Running Hill Road and found the Portland woman wounded in the driveway.

Police received the call at 9:44 p.m. Thursday, according to a Friday morning news release issued by the department.

After detaining what the release called “several people” from the scene, investigators declined to press charges against anyone, Detective Sgt. Rick Rouse of the Scarborough Police Department said Friday.

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“The initial investigation has indicated that this was an accidental discharge of a firearm, and it doesn’t look like there are going to be any charges,” Rouse told the Bangor Daily News.

According to Rouse, the homeowner at the location was confused about an altercation taking place in his driveway, heard somebody say, “I’ll kill you” and mistakenly believed the threat to be directed at him. The homeowner then came out of his residence with a gun, lost his handle on the weapon, and it fired as he bobbled it.

“He didn’t mean to aim it or anything,” Rouse said. “He was just carrying it out.”

Rouse, who did not name the homeowner, said no activity in the initial altercation rose to the level where criminal charges were necessary.

Dorney remained in critical condition Friday afternoon, according to a Maine Medical Center representative.